USAIN BOLT will be given his professional football debut in Friday's friendly for Australian side Central Coast Mariners.
The Jamaican 32-year-old former sprint icon is set to be given a run-out against amateur outfit Central Coast Select, with an anticipated crowd of 12,000.
Bolt, who joined the A-League basement team on trial earlier this month, is set to play as left-back - although he has yet to impress head coach Mike Mulvey.
Mulvey explained that the ex-Olympic champion was finding some aspects of training tough.
He said: "The things we're asking him to do are things he hasn't done for a number of years. It's all about being able to do it at the speed that we do it.
"He's played football as an athlete in between athletic meets, so he has rudimentary skills."
Bolt's yet to pen a deal with the Mariners but is in an open-ended trial with the top-tier club for the forthcoming 10-team A-League campaign.
The pre-season friendly is expected to attract national and international attention at the Central Coast Stadium in Gosford, New South Wales with Bolt the star showing although not the star player.
Bolt admitted: "There'll be nerves because it's not like it's a charity game anymore - this is a career that I"m pursuing.
"I expect to make mistakes, I know I'm not going to have a perfect game."..
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